Society & Class Systems
In medieval Europe, this system of land ownership and labor allocation provided a structure for economic production and social hierarchy.
What is feudalism?
This powerful empire, located in West Africa, thrived due to its wealth from the trans-Saharan trade and is famous for the pilgrimage of its ruler to Mecca.
What is the Mali Empire?
1206 saw the unification of Mongol tribes under the leadership of this single leader, setting the stage for the creation of the Mongol Empire.
Who is Genghis Khan?
This religion, which originated in the Arabian Peninsula, spread rapidly through the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe during the early medieval period.
What is Islam?
This network of trade routes connected China, India, and the Mediterranean world, facilitating the exchange of goods, culture, and ideas from the 2nd century BCE until the 15th century.
What are the Silk Roads?
This invention, which revolutionized communication and the spread of ideas, was introduced to Europe in the mid-15th century by Johannes Gutenberg.
What is the printing press?
This Southeast Asian kingdom was known for its religious tolerance, allowing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam to coexist, and it supported monumental architecture like Angkor Wat that reflected its syncretic spiritual landscape.
What is the Khmer Empire?
This empire, known for its vast size and effective administration, controlled much of the Middle East and North Africa, including its significant trade routes in the 13th and 14th centuries.
What is the Mongol Empire?
This famous Venetian explorer traveled to Asia in the late 13th century, documenting his experiences and inspiring European interest in East Asia.
Who is Marco Polo?
This ancient belief system from China emphasized respect for ancestors, familial loyalty, and the importance of social harmony through relationships such as those between ruler and subject.
What is Confucianism?
This economic system, which emphasized local markets and agrarian self-sufficiency, was prevalent in medieval Europe following the collapse of the Roman Empire.
What is Manorialism?
This agricultural technique, developed in China, allowed farmers to produce two or even three crops per year, significantly boosting food production.
What is Champa rice?
In Song China, this bureaucratic system allowed for social mobility and was based on Confucian principles, with candidates taking rigorous exams to join the government.
What is the civil service exam?
This Chinese dynasty, which reigned from 1279 to 1368, is known for its advancements in technology, economy, and the expansion of the Silk Road under the leadership of Kublai Khan.
What is the Yuan Dynasty?
This famous city, located along the Tigris River, was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and a major center for learning and culture during the medieval period.
What is Baghdad?
This syncretic belief system emerged in Japan and emphasized ancestor worship, rituals, and a deep respect for nature.
What is Shinto?
This vast trade network, connecting East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, was particularly influential in spreading Islam and facilitating the exchange of goods like gold, ivory, and slaves.
What is the Indian Ocean Trade Network?
The development of this navigational tool allowed sailors to determine their latitude at sea, making long-distance ocean voyages more reliable.
What is the astrolabe?
This caste in India was responsible for religious and scholarly duties, as well as performing rituals and maintaining knowledge of sacred texts.
What is the Brahmin class?
This empire in Southeast Asia, centered on the island of Java, controlled maritime trade routes and was influential in spreading Hinduism and Buddhism throughout the region.
What is the Majapahit Empire?
This Moroccan traveler journeyed across the Islamic world in the 14th century, covering more distance than Marco Polo and documenting his travels in the Rihla.
Who is Ibn Battuta?
This Islamic mystic tradition emphasized personal connection to the divine and helped spread Islam to South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa through traveling missionaries and poetry.
What is Sufism?
This North African city became a major center of trade, scholarship, and Islamic culture, attracting students from across the Muslim world during the medieval period.
What is Timbuktu?
This advanced military technology, developed in China and later used in both Europe and the Middle East, revolutionized warfare with its ability to breach fortifications.
What is gunpowder?